Truth Magazine

“Let brotherly love continue” (Heb. 13:1). In some places, this passage cannot be obeyed. It must be preceded by admonitions to “let brotherly love begin,” for it obviously cannot “continue” where it has not yet begun!

Is this such a place? God forbid! However, all the bickering, backbiting, all the strife and division, in some places tells us that “brotherly love” is in short supply or is on back order. (1) Envy and jealousy are at the root of much of the contention that exists among God’s people. When men resent the money, honor, talent, ability, or success of another, bitter gossip will soon begin. (2) Pride kindles the fires of ungodly, unloving words and deeds. Pretentious, proud men feel imaginary slights and are wounded by arrows that have never been shot. Such men cannot be reasoned with, for every earnest appeal is regarded as another “attack.” (3) Laziness and indifference are the mother of hateful attitudes and the father of slanders. Those who do the least, gripe and grumble the most. They do nothing to advance the cause of Christ. They teach no one. They encourage no one. They invite no one. They assist no one. Their idleness gives rise to negative thoughts, to whining words of complaint, and to vicious deeds which will undermine peace, unity, and love.

In every church that is torn apart by a lack of brotherly love, look around, and you will see envy, jealousy, pride, laziness, and indifference. They are the agents of confusion and contention. Brotherly love cannot begin, nor will it continue, where these things abound. They are poison to the soul and destroyers.

By Daniel H. King

The Lord demands that we follow him in spite of hard duty. Too many take the easy road. They want to avoid the hard service. Jesus says to them, “Follow me.”

It is an entirely human trait to take the easiest route to any destination we want to reach. This is apparent in a number of ways, not least of which is the tendency we have to “make a path” where none was intended, across a yard or through bushes or other obstacles to our objective. It is surely the bane of the grounds-keeper of any public park or facility to deal with this peculiarity of human beings! Man will build roads through the most (seemingly) impassable areas: mountains, rivers, deep valleys, and inhospitable climates because they represent the shortest distances to places where he wants to go — quickly. We want the fastest and easiest road to our destination.

But sometimes there are no quick routes to get where we want to go. And there is no way to make one. This is true of heaven. There are no fast or easy ways to get there. This is aptly illustrated in an incident related by John in one of the post-resurrection stories which he told about an exchange which took place between Jesus and Simon Peter.

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou was young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. Now this he spake, signifying by what manner of death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me (John 21:18-19).

The critical line in this conversation is the final one. Jesus told Peter, “Follow me. ”What comes before this line and afterward is both interesting and instructive. It offers considerable information about the road that leads to heaven, suggesting that there is no quick or easy route. Christ told Peter to follow him:

Even If Following Spells Hard Duty

In verses 15-17 Jesus had stressed to Peter his responsibility in feeding his sheep. Peter was to bear the burden of a shepherd: many sheep with many problems. We read in his first epistle that he was then serving in the capacity of an elder (5:1). There he urged other elders: “Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according to (the will of ) God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away” (1 Pet. 5:2-4).

The eldership is hard duty. No getting around it. Any- one who does it is to be admired and appreciated if he serves well. This is exactly what the Scripture says: “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit to them: for they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not with grief: for this were unprofitable for you” (Heb. 13:17). But the Lord demands that we follow him in spite of hard duty. Too many take the easy road. They want to avoid the hard service. Jesus says to them, “Follow me.”

Even If Following Leads to Persecution and Death

The Lord told Peter in verse 18 that when he was young he clothed himself and went wherever he liked, but when he was old someone else would “gird” him, and he would stretch out his hands and another would carry him where he did not wish to go. In speaking so, Jesus was defining the general method of Peter’s death. Ancient tradition has unanimously informed us that Peter died by crucifixion as his Lord had done, upside down by his own request. Following Jesus led to persecution and death for Simon, the fisherman apostle. But the Lord still told him, “Follow me.” Suffering and death are terrible things. One would hope to avoid them. Undoubtedly Peter did not look forward with any relish to the thought of dying by torture. But he did so because his Lord had said to him, “Follow me.”

How often in our own lives have we wrestled with our religious and spiritual convictions and the consequences which they bring to us in this present evil generation. I suppose the Lord might say to us, “You have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin . . .” (see Heb. 12:4). And Peter might say to us, “How easy you have it compared to the burden the Lord asked me to bear! ”We ought to be ashamed!

Even If Following Leads You Where You Would Not Go

“Another shall gird thee, in places where we would not go.” Men who preach the gospel often journey into dangerous situations in countries where they are not wanted. Preachers and elders frequently have to intrude themselves into circumstances they would prefer not to be involved in, but because they are followers of Christ and have been given responsibilities having to do with their fellow Christians, they cannot avoid involvement. When you have seen a brother or sister commit sin, you must go to them in a spirit of meekness and speak with them in loving concern (Gal. 6:1). You probably will not want to go. If you go, you may not be well received; in fact, in some cases you will be told to mind your own business (and you must be assured that the matter is your business before you go!); but if you are following Christ you will go in spite of everything. The Lord said, “Follow me.”

Even If Others Must Bear A Lighter Load

In verses 21-22 Peter asked the Lord what was to be- come of John: “Peter therefore seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me.”

He must surely have been thinking, “If I must die a tortured death, then is some terrible thing also going to happen to John. If not, then it isn’t fair!” Well, dear friend, life is not fair. Never has been. Never will be. Furthermore, God does not promise us that just because we become followers of Jesus Christ, it will suddenly become fair. It won’t. All the evidence we have about John suggests that he died of extreme old age in Ephesus. Peter, on the other hand, was crucified. Peter was asked to glorify God by a martyr’s death. He complied. John was asked to glorify God by a long life lived in service to Christ. He also complied. They both obeyed the Lord’s command to follow him. No matter how easy or hard it is for ourselves or others, Jesus still demands, “What is that to thee? Follow thou me.”

Is marriage important? How you answer that question has everything to do with how you approach marriage, commitment to it, and even divorce. In that marriage is a divine institution, it goes without saying that it is important. Another obvious fact is that the world’s view of marriage continues to decline.

The Sunday Tennessean (June 6, 1999) had an article on the front page entitled, “Importance of marriage declines.” The article stated:

Divorce has become so common in Tennessee that almost two- thirds of all new marriages involve either a divorced bride or groom, and 38% of weddings are between two divorced persons, a new study shows.

The report released by the conservative Tennessee Family Institute, is based on marriage data from the past 20 years.

Research analyst Roger Abram- son, who wrote the report, said the numbers reflect a societal shift toward placing less importance on the institution of marriage.

The institution of marriage generally is in a weaker state now than it was (20 years ago) because people don’t view marriage as the commitment they once did,” Abramson said. “We now have a state with a significant group of people where families are torn apart for no other reason than they just want to. . . . But information from the National Center for Health Statistics has for years been used to predict that about half of new marriages will end in divorce.

Tennessee’s divorce rate of 6.3 per 1,000 people is the eighth-highest rate in the country, according to an NCHS study, and state statistics show a growing number of Tennesseans are getting married for their fifth and sixth time.

The attitudes reflected in these studies affect God’s people too. We live in a world that shapes and molds the weaker ones to be like it (Rom. 12:1-3). Thus, it  behooves us to continually teach about the importance of marriage.

Marriage Was Created By God

Marriage is not a creation of man- kind, but of God himself. In the very beginning God saw that it was not good that man should be alone and he thus said, “I will make him a helper comparable to him” (Gen. 2:18). So, God created Eve from his rib and said, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (v. 24).This principle, stated in the garden, was quoted by Paul (Eph. 5:31) and Jesus himself (Matt. 19:4-6) when teaching on marriage.

This institution, called marriage, was planned and designed by God. Being the author of it, God set the laws that are to govern this relation- ship (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2-3).

The Purpose of Marriage

The importance of marriage is clearly seen when we understand why God created it. What is the purpose of marriage?

1. Companionship. When God saw that it was not good that man should be alone, he made a wife for him (Gen. 2:18-24).

2. Legitimately bearing children. It is possible to have children without the honor of marriage. However, to do so involves sin. When God created marriage in the beginning he said, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply’” (Gen. 1:27-28).

Paul said, “Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully” (1 Tim. 5:14).

3. For sexual relations — to avoid fornication. Lest man behave as an animal and seek to fulfill his desire with any who would be willing, he designed marriage for the lawful sexual union. Paul wrote to the Corinthians,

Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does (1 Cor. 7:2-4).

The same apostle wrote to the He- brews saying, “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Heb. 13:4).

Marriage is not important if . . . There are several ways that one may not honor marriage as God intended. Marriage is not important if   . . .

1. There is sex before marriage. Premarital sex is not uncommon.

Earlier in this decade the Tennessean reported that 63% of today’s teenagers see nothing morally wrong with sexual relations before marriage. That’s scary! That means that 63% of the people our teenagers associate with see nothing wrong with sex before marriage.

The Hebrew writer said that the marriage bed (sexual relations in marriage) is undefiled. However, the fornicator (pre-marital) and the adulterer (extra-marital) God will condemn (Heb. 13:4). Those who commit fornication, not only violate an emphatic prohibition, but have no respect for marriage.

2. Adultery is committed. When a married person goes outside the realm of marriage for sexual relation, his marriage is not important to him at all. We have already noted that Hebrews 13:4 says God will condemn such a person. Jesus taught that this unfaithful act gives the innocent party the right to put his mate away and remarry another (Matt. 5:32; 19:9).

3. One divorces without a scriptural right. When asked if a man could divorce his wife without a cause, Jesus responded with four reasons why the answer was “no” (Matt. 19:3-6). Paul taught the same in 1 Corinthians 7:10-13. Jesus gave only one scriptural cause for divorce: fornication (Matt. 5:32; 19:9). When a person divorces for any other cause, he does not honor marriage or God’s law.

4. One remarries without a scriptural right. Jesus said, “And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery” (Matt. 19:9). The only one who has a right to remarry (in the case of divorce) is one who has put his mate away for the cause of fornication. All others commit adultery when they remarry.

The strictness of God’s law tells us that he views marriage as important. If his law would allow divorce for any cause or remarriage in any divorce, it would indicate a lesser view of marriage. The very article we cited above suggest that frivolous divorce and remarriage is a sign that marriage is not important.

5. You are not the mate you ought to be. It is not only those who commit fornication or divorce who view marriage as unimportant. Those who stay together and are never unfaithful to their mate could be guilty too. Those who do not work at making their marriage the best it can be, do not think marriage is important. If it is, they would change!

Husbands who view marriage as important seek to love their wives as themselves (Eph. 5:22-28), be understanding, honor his wife and treat her as the weaker vessel (1 Pet. 3:7). Wives who think marriage is important strive to love their husbands (Tit. 2:5), be submissive (1 Pet. 3:1-6), and have reverence for their husbands (Eph. 5:33).

We know marriage is important to God. We know that marriage is not important to the world. How do you view marriage?

The above question is a hard one to ask because it requires us to look at ourselves and see if we are doing something wrong. We have to find the reason why once faithful young people are turning away from the Lord’s church in greater and greater numbers.

So, why are the young people leaving? Is it because they are not taught the way they should live? In some cases that is true, you can look at the lives of the parents and see that spiritual things were not first in their lives and hence it is not first in the lives of their children. If this is the case, both parents and children need to remember that we are to seek the kingdom of God first (Matt. 6:33). No matter what others are doing around us, we are to follow Christ.

However, that is not always the case. There are children who turn away from the truth even though their parents have never faltered once. What is the cause for them turning away? An unloving environment has been the cause of some turning away. They feel as if their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ couldn’t care less about them. Sadly, the only time some Christians are caring is after someone has left the church. We, as Christians, need to make sure that we show concern and caring about our fellow Christians. We need to get to know one another. Remember, we are commanded to “rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15). We can’t do that if we don’t know one another.

In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul told Timothy, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” I am not so far removed from being a young person that I can’t remember the feeling of someone despising my youth, making me feel as if my ideas were the dumbest thing they had ever heard in their life. Older Christians can get so set in their ways that they will not move an inch. I am not talking about doctrinal issues. I am the first to be unmoved when someone wants to go against the word of God. What I am speaking of are matters of opinion, where we have choices. I have all but been told that I should keep my mouth shut because I was a “babe in

Christ. ”I have heard people use the term “Young Christian” with such a tone you would think they were saying the worst two words ever spoken. All Christians should show respect to other Christians, no matter what age they are or how long they have been Christians.

These are by no means all the reasons why young people leave the church. However, they are some of the top reasons I have heard from those who have left.

Each member of the Lord’s church need to take a long, hard look at himself and see if he is the person that is trying to keep the young people in the church or is he one who is running them off.